Garbage can and cover



Feb. 16, 1960 H. R. LITTLETON 2,925,190

GARBAGE CAN AND COVER Filed April 16, 1958 A 'I/IIIIII,

Ill?

Harry R. Little/0n INVENTOK. Fig.3

MW Mg /8 tion having a bottom therein forming a receiver;

1 2,925,190 GARBAGE CAN AND COVER Harry R. Littleton, Charleston, W. Va. Application April 16, 1958, Serial No. 728,888 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) nular main section defining the entrance opening or mouth, and an inner auxiliary section which is hinged on the (intersection and provides an openable and closable lid for the entrance opening. It is also common practice in this line of endeavor to provide a lever which assists in opening and closing the inner section or lid. For the most part it is customary to construct the lever so that it serves, as is generally thesituation, as a foot lever or pedal.

i As will be hereinafter evident it is an object of the instant matter to provide simple, practical and reliable cover means which is such that it may be used to provide a satisfactory underground garbage can or container. This is not to say that the cover necessarily has to be employed with a submerged garbage or refuse container or can for, obviously, the container and the receiver therefor'may be above ground level. or, for that matter, even elevated and used at table or shelf level. In any event, in carrying out the principles of the instant invention the components which go to make up the overall cover means, including the foot pedal, lend themselves to practical and economical construction from aluminum, a material which is not only light in weight and easy and expedient to utilize in manufacturing procedures but is rustproof.

Also, in carrying out the invention a folding or socalled retractible foot pedal is utilized and is so constructed as to use the weight of the pedal to help lift a lid section of the over-all cover means.

Novelty is also predicated on a cover construction which is such that it will fit over, that is rest atop or can contained in the concrete tile is located above or below surface level.

Novelty is also predicated on the combination of a suitable piece of concrete or equivalent tile or pipe sec- Any suitable garbage can or receptacle, whether disposable or not, is placedin the concrete receiver. Then the sectional cover means is placed atop the tile portion of the receiver, whereby to thus provide a novel and practical garbage can.

. Other objects features and advantages will become 'more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawingywherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa so-called garbage can which may be assumed to be'embedded in the ground and which is provided with the improved cover means;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

United States Patent however, on the receiver and can when the receiver serves 2 a a r a Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the lifting and lowering abutment carried by the marginal portion of the hinged lid; and

Fig. 4 is an exaggerated detail section on the line 4-40fFig. 1.

With reference now to the drawing the aforementioned concrete or equivalent tile is denoted by the numeral 4 and is fitted around the margin of a disk-like insert of concrete as at 6 with the parts 4 and 6 going to make up a receiver which is open at thetop. A garbage can or equivalent receptacle is denoted at 8.. Actually this part 8 may be almost any available receptacle around the house such as a discarded paint can, large size food product can which has been dispensed with and so on. As a matter of fact, waxed ice crcarncartons of suitable capacity and even disposable prepared garbage pail lining bags and the like may constitute the can under consideration. The components 4 and 6 make up the open top closed bottom receiver 10 and the receptacle 8 constitutes the can. The cover means, looking at it as a structural entity, is denoted generally by the numeral 12. As already mentioned it comprises an aluminum annulus 14 of suitable size or diameter. The center opening thereof is surrounded by an upstanding collar 16 which goes to make. up the opening or month. There is a marginal depending lip or flange 18. This outer annulus constitutes the outer or primary section of the cover means. The inner section is an imperforate disk-like aluminum cover which, is here referred to as a lid 20. It is of course suitably proportioned and preferably provided wtih' a downturned marginal lip 22. As seen in Fig. 3 the marginal ts surface of the lid has an offset aluminum, block'or the like 24 welded in place and constituting a'liftingand lowering abutment. There are two outstanding or radial arms 26 formed integral with the lid and they extend out and are hingedly mounted on end portions of a bolt 28 which here serves as a hinging shaft. The bolt is mounted in posts or uprights 30 formed integrally with the cover section 14. The bolt, that is the section between the arms 26 also serves as a shaftfor the bearing 32 forming a part of the lever means. The shank of the lever is denoted at 34 and the trip at 36. There is a short shank 38 on the other side of the hearing which is proportioned and constructed to serve as a lifting and lowering finger. It is aligned with and cooperates with the abutment 24. Here the term lever means handle, pedal, foot piece or an equivalent member. The pedal is retractible and operates in the manner which is thought to be evident by considering Figs. 1 and 2 collectively and particularly the full line and dotted line representations in Fig. 2.

As the introductory portion of the specification clearly implies your applicant is not unmindful that it is old in the art to provide cover means characterized by socalled primary and secondary or auxiliary components or sections with the outer one serving as a sort of a collar for the cover proper, and the inner one as an openable and closable lid. It is also old in the art to provide foot pedals and levers which may be used either as handles or foot pieces. It is to be pointed out that in the instant presentation the cover means 12 with the attending foot pedal constitutes a novel structural entity, not one which -must necessarily be built in or form a part of a'coma e ates to accommodate the readily applicable and removable closure or cover means 12.

, With reference now to Figure 4, this view brings out a further feature; namely, a stop pin 40 carried by one ofthe posts or uprights 30 and with whic h an extended lng or abutment41 has engagement as, seen in dotted lines. This construction has been aptly utilized to limit 1;}; upward movement of thecover or lid at a point of ,5, from the perpendicular. Consequently the cover PilQPQll 191) over and fall accidently on the operators foot.

a The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to, the enactconstruction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and eqniyalents, may be resorted to, falling within the scope of; the invention as claimed.

. What is claimed as new'is as follows:

1. In combination, a length of terra-cotta tile adapted tobeembedded in the ground with an upper end thereof adapted to project slightly above ground level, an insert of concjrete plugged into the bottom of said tile and cooperatin therewith and providing a receiver for an insert ble and removable garbage can, and non-eorrodible cover means for outdoor use, said cover means being ap rec able we ht i depend f ut es mli' bnt removably atop the upper end of said tile and comprising a first cover section annular in plan with a generally flat body portion, the central portion of annular section defining a center opening, the

outer; marginal edge of 7 said section having a depending fiange, the flat body portion of said section beingadapted to provide a weatherproof joint between itself and: said receiver, a second cover section comprising a' disc-like lid adapted to close over said center opening, said center opening being surrounded by an upstanding flange, said lid' having a marginal depending flange coopera-ble with said upstanding flange in providing a substantially weatherproof joint between the cooperating surfaces of the lid and said flanges, said first cover section having a pair of upstanding ears arranged midway between the inner and outer peripheral edges ofthe cover section, said second cover section having a pair of marginal arms projecting outwardly beyond the outer pe he al dge an h n conn ct d wi h a sl aft supported between said ears, and a foot pedal having a bearing rockably mounted on the shaft between saidv arms, said bearing being provided on one side midway between its ends with an outstanding shank terminating in afoot piece, said bearing being provided on a diametrically opposite side with an outstanding lifting finger, the marginal edge portion of said lid adjacent the finger being provided with an upstanding lug serving as a lifting and lowering abutment, and said finger being releasably engageable with said abutment.

2. For ready and adaptable use where a simple length of concrete tile with a'plugclosed bottom provides? a receiver for a garbage can, non-corrodible cover means for theupper open end ofsaid tile comprising an annular outer section, the outer marginal edge of which is downtnrned to provide an endless lip, the innerperipheral edge having an upstanding endless flange constituting a collar, a complemental inner section comprising animperforate lid resting atop said collar and having-a depending flange snugly encircling said collar and providing a substantially weatherproof joint between the: cooperatingsurfaces of theinnerperiphery of the depending flange and outer peripheral surface of said collar, said lid being provided adjacent a marginal edgewith an upstanding lug constituting an abutment, means hingedly, joining said lidwith the outer annular section andrenni tias the is g r adil ren and cl e a fa pedal having a bearing hingedly supported'on said annular outer section, said bearing'being' provided on one side with a lifting and lowering finger releasably engageable with the abutment, being provided on a diametrically opposite side with an outstanding shank and said shank terminating'in a footpiece, said hinging and j g means comprisi g a pair of up tan in hingins posts carried by said cover section, said posts supporting an interveninghorizontal shaft, said inner lid section having spaced marginal arms locatedbetween said posts and pivotally connected with said shaft, one of said posts ha n later l 'n i c ins p p n d qan ne v r i al de o he P t o o sa arms h v n a p .1 2 xt n g a al y and lo t n ap h. of mo men to strike the pin in a manner which serves to limit the upward swinging of said lid. t

3! F ea an d p abl us h re a e t o terracotta tile has been embedded in the ground with the upper end thereof projecting above the surface of the ground and the lower end thereof closed by a concreteplug in a manner to provide a receiver for a garbage can, cover means for the upper open end of said tile, said cover means being made of relatively heavy metal so that the complete. means is 25 pounds, moreor-less, in weight whereby when it is positioned for use atop the upper' ndj o th le t e sel -embqd ed e sh retains the means in operative position against displacem nt and; obvia s n on y he ike ihood di p a t h med for any p s tiv iqcnnec iqn. ha s a'e e t e h me. nd i e a d co r ans compr sing a first cover section annular in plan having a generallyflat body portion the central part of which defines an intake Opening, the Q iet marginal edge of said first cover section having a depending flange which is suflicient to overhangthe projecting upper end of the terracotta tile in a manner to guard against lateral shifting and displacement of said section and also to the likelihood of water and mud entering the receptacle portion of the receiver, a second cover section comprising a disk-like, lid, said lid having a margina depending flange, saidcenter opening being surrounded by an upstanding flangeconstituting a collar, and depending flange snugly surrounding the collar and providing a substantially weatherproof joint between cooperating surfaces of the flange, collar and lid, said first cover section being provided with a pair of upstanding ears located midway between th inner and outer peripheral edges of the. cover section, said second cover section having a pair of marginal outwardly projecting arms e ttending beyond the. outer peripheral edge, of the cover section and extending. between the respective ears and being hingedly connected. with a shaft operatively supported, between said ears, a marginal outer edge of said lid having an upstanding lug serving as a lifting and lowering abutment, said lug being positioned between the arms, a' barrel-like bearing mounted for angular rotation on said shaft and occupying the space between inner adjacent surfaces ofsaid outstanding arms,"sai d bearing beingrprovided on one side midway between, its ends, with an fits d na ank e mina n n. a t-p e e d bearing being provided on a diametrically oppositeside with a lifting finger in alignment with the axis of said foot-piece shank, said finger being aligned. and, releasably engageable with. said abutment, the vertical inner side of one of said ears having a laterally projecting stop pin, theaforementioned arrnwhich is adjacent to said one ear, terminating in; a stop lug, said lug. operating in v References Cited inthe fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Oct. 8; lass 

